Screw conveyer apparatus



June l2, 1951 E. A. HAWK SCREW CONVEYER APPARATUS 2 sheets-Sheet 1 File@ Jah. 29, 194s :inventor EZwMz/HazI/ Gttornegs June 12, 1951 y E. A. HAWK 2,556,391

SCREW CONVEYER APPARATUS Filed Jan, '29, 1948 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Buvenfor Elwin Hawk bw ww Gttornegs Patented June 12, 1951 UNITED ,STATES PATENT OFFICE -SCREW CONVEYER APPARATUS Elwin A. Hawk, AEast Rochester, Ohio Application January 29, 1.948, Serial No. 5,081

(Cl. 19g-213) Claims. l

,The' invention relates generally to screw conveyorj'apparatus and moreparticularly to screw conveyor apparatus used in the ceramic-industry and rfrequently termedauger machines, and used for'conveying or conveying and pressing plastic ceramic material inthe vrmanufacture of various classesof ceramic products such as thefollowing:l heavy ceramic productsv including brick, tile and thelike;v pottery including dinnerware and the like; and. porcelain including electrical insulators andthe like. j

the manufactureof ceramic products different ceramic/'bodieseach having a different compositionof ceramic materials are used from time to'time in the same production line, and each particular-'ceramic'body usually has a different resistance tothe conveying or feedingaction of any particular 'auger machine. On 4the other handhin processing a particularceramic body, its moisturefcontent may change during preceding operations causing a change in its resistance to the auger conveying or feeding. It is desirable that the output of an auger machine, or of a screw conveyor apparatus which `constitutes a component partof another machine or apparatus, be as nearlyconstant as possible, so that the'output'of` the production line or the machine or apparatus of which the auger machine or screw conveyor apparatusfis a part may be maintained as nearly constant aspossible.

In usual auger machines or screw conveyor` apparatus, either due to changes inthe compositions of successive ceramic bodies constituting the inputfor duel to variations in the moisture content of a ceramic body having a particular composition and constituting the input, a variable output of the auger machine orscrew conveyorapparatus is very frequently experienced. n I j u While an auger machine or Va screw conveyor apparatus frequently performs a` pressing 'operation on the material conveyed therethrough, the present invention is more particularly directed tol controlling the iiow of material through an auger machine or a screw conveyor apparatus, andthe wordsfscrew conveyor apparatus, when used alone hereinafter throughout this specification including the claims, are in? tendedto include an auger machine or a screw conveyor pparatusf ,in which material is pressed aswelias'vconveyed;

The objects of the present'invention inc lude the provisionv of improved screw ,ccnveyor'ap' paratus which is, adapted for, having a variable material inputandflow' therethrough so' as'to companying drawing forming part hereof in set'forth in the following lgeneral statement, andY preferred embodiments of which are set forth in the'following description, and which areV particularlyand distinctly pointed out and set forth in the appended claims forming part hereof.

The nature of the improved screw conveyor apparatus of the present invention may be stated in general termsas includingwalls forming an elongated chamber having an inlet end and an outlet end and having an inlet'opening at the inlet end and an outlet opening at theoutlet end'and' the chamber 'forming walls including an elongated tubular wall through or into which the inlet and outlet openings communicate. An elongated screw is operatively mounted for rotation in the chamber, the axis of rotation of the screw"'extending in the same direction as the longitudinal axis of the tubular wall of the chamber. Opposite the screw, one of the chamber walls has formed therein an opening around sides of which extend ange walls, and within the ange walls there is operatively mounted a door for movement towards and away from the screw, whereby the volume of the chamber may be increased or decreased so that when thev chamber yis filled with material to be conveyed by the screw, the volume and mass of the mat'erial in the chamber may be set at a quantity producing a desired substantially constant output flow through the chamber outlet of mate-l rial conveyed therethrough by the screw.

klBy way' of example preferred embodiments of' the improved screw conveyor apparatus and of improved. parts thereof areillustrated in the acwhich Figure 1 .is av longitudinal vertical sectionall view of an improved de-airing apparatus in whichV an embodiment of the improved screw conveyor apparatus isincorporated; and

Figure 2 is a transverse sectional view thereof as on line 2-2, Fig. 1, showing details of the improved screw conveyor apparatus.

Similar numerals refer to similar throughout the drawings.

The improved cle-airing apparatus indicated generally by iii includes one embodiment of the improved screw conveyor apparatus of the present invention indicated generally by Il, and arranged to feed material into the chamber of a de-airing. housing indicated generally by I2, and the de-airing housing I2 is associated with vertically extending extrusion press means indicated generally by i3.

The improved screw conveyor apparatus I I of the present invention includes screw housing walls forming and having formed therein an elongated chamber indicated generally by l@ hav ing an inlet end Ill-l with an upper inlet open ing l5 and an outlet end l42 with an end. out-A let opening I5. The screw housing walls include an elongated preferablycylindric tubular wall l., and'a transverse/'end wall I8 at the inlet end of the chamber Uil The iillet opening il'a'sl Shown; is formed in the upper side 'ofthe tubular' wall Irl; andan extension of the upper .end of the end wall T8, a transverselyextending wall I9 longitudinally spaced from. the end wall [.3 in the di-4 rection of the outlet'opening it; and lat'elralll7 spaced sidefwallsvv 2 3 joined with eachA other at corners Vform an upwardly opening rectangular hopper 2l' communicating and con'necting',V with the inlet opening i5.

lllfitljiin the tubular wall Il, there extends longitudinally, and as shown coaXially, an elongated screw 2 2 including a cantileverfscrew shaft 2245i on whichisexternally mounted a continuous'thin. Walle@ helical' screw blade. '22e-2. When'desred separate' screw blades maybe inounted on the shaft The screw shaft 227i extends through the end wall i3 into abearing mounting @ll-(. @Qnlitttloli with the driveeear of a. usual ifeliliptlsiii gear sei iridicaied generally by erfand. contained in a housing. 2i, and having a driven pulley 25. A motor Zghas a drive. p ulley 2l, ,andr the motor drive pulley 2 isoperatively connectefolV by @1.1. TiiSilSS.bel.t`28. with. the reduction geef Set. lrivil pil11ev`2fi For the purposes of, theP present invention, iny the lower side of the tubular wall [l below the. screw 2 2. there it foire-.ed an elongated retane. lai' doei @perline 29,' extending' from the chamber. end wall I8 to a transversely extending. shorter. eid?. 3,? loetiisid. adjacent. the. Outlet @liti ifi-2 9i til?. @temeer Ui., arid tiltY @perline 2.9. his. lati-ila spaced logger straight .sides il.: Biiideiing 'en ff este i' ette@ teeming there. den 3 from, theiiiitiersitie 0f. tiri tubular. wall. lli iii filoni.. gated @et fleiige Well i?, 'and all. Opening borden laterally entending. v ua-te yflange wall Suffkde-A pelles from. the hier ilifibf tli Ghirri end Weil. it., th artigli@ tiene@ will 3.3.. @ingridmi.Y begtween. and. teilig. tiiilsitiii. ifi-teeth' f p'pasiie.. Colliers. with one. Qi the longitudinally extending liege@ Weils. .212..- fi, iQIieitiidiila-lly iiiieii liiier rece tangulei. @0.0i Si litt tile. rectangular 'Opening 2i, andN is preferably transversely cylindrically curved with the terne curvature as 'that of the. cylindrical tubular wall i7.

'The @9er it iS breiatlvelr mounted. for were: ment towards and away from the screw 22K' and tf? all@ Out O-f tilt tubular-Wall opening 29. witri ieee@ elle?? by the flange wills. 32 'and Si. Opelfatllenliionting for the'movementof the door 34 as SHOW. is .etf'ted by horizontal. hinge @e913 indicated by 3.5; iQiiiieciiiig the end '3.1i of parts 4 l the door adjacent the shorter side 30 of the opening 29 with one of the longitudinally extending flange walls 32.

Means for raising and lowering the door 34 by swinging on the hinge means 35 are provided as shown by screw jack means indicated generally by 3l located beneath the door 34 at the inlet end Ill-l of the chamber I4. rlhe screw jack means 3l' includes a vertically extending screw 38 having. an upper pivotal connection 39 with the underside of the door 311;

As shown the parts of the de-airing apparatus I9 are ultimately carried by or are directly mounted on a base frame fill, and the screw jack means 3'! furthermore includes a vertical bearing housing tube il having its upper end secured on the frame itV and mounting in its upper end the outer yraceway ofva tapered roller bearing 42, and thev tube il mounts in its lower end the outer' raceway of a ball bearing 43. The inner race- Ways of. the bearings 4.2 and 43 mount ann elongated jaeiinut `rifiinlier'i, liii r1 andivy.-A ef iiiternally'fthreaded portions whichs'cr n thefa'ck screw 38j "On theup'pfer. end of the jack fait master iii. neri's recurrida wienviherii with'whicli is meshed'a worm 5B- on 'a' sliafL 4.1,'

journaledl on the bafsezffrarn QU, an of, the'slaf't il? hasI 'secured'ther a hand wheel 43 forfturning the shaft "121., Vthe 'worr'nf4.6, 'the' worm wheel '35, and theja k nut'memb'erflilg and thereby `raise OYlvver theg'javcl. sc 'w 33l`ari thedoor 3.1i. m N The' defairing housing 1 2. includes aV vertical tu '5S having upperfand lower flanges con Vected w upperandlowerfannular plates 5j. T52." Ifnwthe'opnin'g ofthefulpr a'lnullarfp te'y there is secured as'. part of! the ve L callyei Vriding 4enti-usic'n 'press 'means I3 an upper tube the lowerf end "."fffc'h terminates inthe chJ bfi @ruig housirigiz; met beiow the upper. an larplate EI' I ln the opening of. thelower annui Plate 552 iis Pelt '65 tlife veitiaiii/ extsiiliilii trusionmpressf means [3 there is '"eziiielclai` lo tube 55, the upper end sksf'Jvi/ hichk te'ifr'riinate`l @mieter @if the housing 'i2 ilitt @50V the 1.0. `anlililiii riet-e5? Til@ upper-aridi. tial. tutti. it. @iid iii are. tteiiial and' ii same internal cylindric. diameters. Bet elldiofitllii tubes' tiene 5l irl the Chil o limiting 'it there. is. 19C .ted a.. iflforiiiee tile@ these inter-fiel? Qriiilsiii@ diameter slightly greater than that of the tubes 53. a lenti" extremiti- O'f the. levier tilts. therei.. nected an extrusion die 55. Within the tubes 53, 5.4, and 55, there extends an elongated screw@ 5J. includinga screw shaft Effll and a continuo,... thin walled helical screw blade Eje-2L i The housing" l2 hasv a side" opening seal connected withv the -outlet end ofthe tubular. wall Il?. of the screw conveyor. apparatus tl, and all thewalls of the hdiising land'the connecting.

tubes f'an'd Eil and the connecting die fidare s ealed at their. joints with eachother. 4Racking gland means 53 seal the' upper end portions of the screw shaft `Sli-lv in the upv end o ffthe upper..` tube `53,` and the upper. end. of thescrew shaft 51-l extends above v'the packing` gland meant.. Gil 2i vertical frame indicated einer ally. by ESQ, and extending upwardly from the: base fame QB. Amctor and reduction. ecard-rive means in ated generally bytn @prefer-ve delineated. gyithl the. upper extremity ofY thescrew shaft lhe chamber of the defairing housing IZ is @.Qllllictd l'i. Si 115.11311 mai-lm@ Wilihtlliaii not shown for vproducing a sub-atmospheric pressure in the chamber and pumpingaway the ai1 j .`or y other gases in material passing therethrough-, ,a

, he operation of the improved screw conveyor apparatus II is such that a substantially con stant output of plastic material from the screw,

conveyor apparatus I I may hecaused to ilow into the A clriamber ofthe de-airingvhousing This` plastic material, which may be for example a ceramic body for dinnerware, 4is lled'into the chamberIII ofthe screw conveyor apparatus I! and to the top of the hopper '20. The screw' 22 mum resistance tothe flow of"th"plastic`ina'l' terial through'thei'chamber I4.

It lis'to be noted that the three flange walls 32ff=andf33- border and forma guideway'for the door 34infits movement, and as shown the' ange walls ,32 and' 33 border the opening 29.

'iW'hen 'desired the opening 29 may be smaller than the guideway formed by the ilange walls 32 and 33. Also there may be four flange walls forming a rectangular guideway in which the door is arranged for reciprocating movement instead of swinging as shown.

Assuming for example that the plastic material being loaded into the hopper 2i) has a varying moisture content, the operator rotates the handle 48 in opposite directions as may be required to raise or lower the door 34 to selected positions in the guideway to vary the resistance to the flow of material through the chamber i4 so as to maintain the now of material into the chamber housing I2 and thus out of the die 55 so as to produce a substantially constant output or rate of flow of the column of cie-aired materia1 issuing -from the die 56.

At any position of adjustment of the door 34 in the guideway, the worm operated screw jack means 3'! locks and maintains the door in that position until the screw jack means 31 is again operated.

The embodiments of the present invention illustrated and described herein are by way of example, and the scope of the present invention is not limited to the same or to the particular details thereof' but is commensurate with any and al1 novel subject matter contained herein which may at any time properly under the patent laws be set forth in the claims hereof or originating herein, and the elements of any such claims are intended to include their reasonable equivalents. Y

I claim:

1. In screw conveyor apparatus, screw housing walls forming and having formed therein an elongated chamber having an inlet end with an inlet opening and an outlet end with an outlet opening, an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation in the chamber, one of the housing walls having a door opening` formed therein, ilanges extending along sides of the door opening and forming a door guideway, and a door ntting in the guideway and operatively arranged gnidewavfor'm'ovement to andlocking at any'selected position in the guideway.

2. In a screw conveyor apparatus, screw hous-V ingI walls formingand having .formed therein an elhgat'edichar'ber havingVr aL .inlet endQWit-h an inletyopening and an outlet end with an outlet opening, an elongated screw operatively mounted foprotationindthe chamber, one of the housing walls r`having' a doorA opening formed therein,

flangesextending along sides of the door opening'and forming a door guideway, a door tting in.fthe.. guideway v and operatively arranged for mnvmentmojselected positions in the guidewayjandheans"fr moving the door to and maintaining itat any selected position in the guideway* walls vforming and having formed therein an elongated chamber having an inlet end with an inlet opening and anoutletend, with an'outletv opening', an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation vin. the chamber, one of the housing walls having aj door` opening formed therein, anges extending. alongsides of the doorlopen: ille, aridjiorminga door guideway, az doortting in the guideway and operatively mounted for movement, to selected positions inthe guideway, andjackjmeansfor,moving the door to and maintaining it` Vatf anyA .selected position' in" the 4': Inscrew conveyor apparatus, screw housing walls for-ming and having formed therein an elongated chamber having an inlet end with an inlet opening and an outlet end With an outlet opening, an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation in the chamber, one of the housing walls having a *door opening formed therein, flanges extending along sides of the door opening and forming a door guideway, a door fitting in the guideway and operatively mounted for movement to selected positions in the guideway, and worm operated screw jack means for moving the door to and maintaining it at any selected position in the guideway.

5. In screw conveyor apparatus, screw housing walls forming and having formed therein an elongated chamber having an inlet opening and an outlet end with an outlet opening, the housing walls including an elongated tubular wall, an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation in the chamber and extending within the tubular wall, the tubular 4wall having a door opening formed therein, flanges extending along Sides of the door opening and forming a door guideway, and a door tting in the guideway and operatively arranged for movement to and locking at any selected position in the guideway.

6. In screw conveyor apparatus, screw housing walls forming and having formed therein an elongated chamber having an inlet end with an inlet opening and an outlet end with an outlet opening, the housing walls including an elongated tubular wall, an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation in the chamber and extending within the tubular wall, the tubular wall having a door opening formed therein, anges extending along sides of the door opening and forming a door guideway, and a door iitting in the guideway and operatively arranged for movement to and locking at any selected position in the guideway, the tubular wall 4being transversely curved, and the door being transversely curved with the same curvature as the tubular wall.

7. In screw conveyor apparatus, screw housing walls forming and having formed therein an elonewecfdnveyor apparatus, screw housing' gated chamber having. an inlet end with an inlet,

o'penin'gand an outlet'fend, with an outletopening, an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation inthe chamber, one of the housing Walls having al door opening formed therein, flanges extending along sides of the door opening and forming a door guideway, and a door tting in the guideway and operatively arranged for v ing movement to and locking at any selected position in the guideway.

3. In screw conveyor apparatus, screw housing Walls forming and having formed therein an elongated chamber having an inlet end with an inlet opening and an outlet end with an outlet opening, an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation in the chamber, one of the housing walls having a door opening formed therein, flanges extending along sides of the door opening and forming a door guideway, a door fitting the guideway, and means hinge mounting the door at one side of the opening, and means for swinging the door on the hinge means to and maintaining the door at any selected position in the guideway.

9. In screw conveyor apparatus, screw housing Walls forming and having formed therein an elon gated Chamber having an inlet end with an inlet opening and an outlet end with an outlet opening, an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation in the chamber, one of the housing walls having a door opening formed therein, flanges extending along sides of the door opening and swing-A *for-mingy a door guideway, a door fitting the guide--b way, and meansI hinge mounting the door at one side of the opening, and jack means' for swinging the door on the hinge means to and maintainingv the door at any seleeted position in the guideWa'y.

10. In screw conveyor apparatus, screw housing walls forming and having formed therein an elongated chamber having an inlet end with an inlet opening andan outlet end with an Outlet opening, an elongated screw operatively mounted for rotation in the chamber, one of the housing walls having a doorr opening formed' therein,

ilanges extending along' sides of the door opening' and forming a door guideway, a door fitting the guideway, and means hinge mounting the door at one side of the opening, and Worm operated jack means for swinging the door` on the hinge means to and `maintaining the door at any selected posi'- tion in the guideway. ELWIN A. HAWK.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record in the file of this patent:

UNITED STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 1,706,292 I-Ieyman Mar. 19, 1929 2,249,588 Waddle July 15, 1941 2,343,707 Roland Mar. '7, 1944 2,412,121 Bradshaw Dec. 3, 1946 

